Face-to-Face: Mike Greenup, VP, brand management, Holiday Inn Brand Family, Europe
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Last week InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) unveiled its ‘next generation’ guest experience for its Holiday Inn Express brand in Europe.
Based on guest research, the new format has been developed with the changing needs of today’s ‘Smart Traveller’ in mind.
The hotel lobby, dining area and guest rooms have been redesigned, the brand’s service delivery completely revamped, while a new food and beverage concept is being tested. The latest smart technology is also being piloted across multiple guest touch points.
This new hotel model has been based entirely on guest feedback, collated by global design and innovation consultancy IDEO and environments design agency Forpeople.
Both parties interviewed a range of ‘Smart Travellers’ – those traveling for business, leisure, by themselves, in couples and as families. They also spoke to guests at competing hotels and observed how and what they packed for a short stay.
The team walked guests through a full-sized mock up of the new Holiday Inn Express guest experience, which included acted-out service roles, digital touch screens, and food and beverage offerings. During each walkthrough, guests were invited to give feedback that was incorporated to refine the experience.
Here, Mike Greenup provides more insight into the highly intuitive guest experience Holiday Express Inn will now roll out in Europe.
Q: What were the top five findings from IDEO’s research in terms of ‘next-gen traveller’ preferences and how does your new guest experience at Holiday Inn Express meet these demands?
- The desk in the room is unnecessary
The new Holiday Inn Express next-generation room features a flexible work and rest corner with a signature work and rest chair and a table, which can be moved around the room.
- Guests travelling on their own often for business wanted somewhere they could relax
Very much the heart and soul of the hotel, The Express Café & Bar is an inviting pit stop for guests. It has a range of different chairs such as bar stools on which to perch while having a chat at the bar with fellow guests plus comfortable armchairs where you can read a newspaper. Guests can choose to eat the Express breakfast in the Express Café& Bar or ‘to go’ by grabbing a take away bag and breakfast is always included in the room rate.
- Guests want to be healthier when travelling
We wanted to focus on the things that matter most and get them exactly right. Getting the food
and beverage concept right was absolutely critical. The Express Café & Bar has one focus – simple,
honest food done brilliantly. We offer a carefully selected range of tasty food options that will fill
you up without slowing you down.
- Guests want to stream their own media – not the hotel’s media
That’s why we will offer smart TV’s in all of the rooms, enabling guests to stream their own media from a personal device or log in and link to their own apps on their home Smart TV such as Netflix. There are USB ports to charge devices throughout the room and Wi-Fi is included in the room price and available throughout the hotel.
- Guests want a more relaxed and homely working environment in their hotel room
The new Holiday Inn Express next-generation guest room has been designed to balance home comforts with smart design features that together provide an even better place for guests to sleep, work and relax. For example, the room features a flexible work and rest corner where the desk and chair can be moved around so guests can choose where and how to work and rest. This reflects the informal and blended nature of our working lives. The new room features mood lighting and a curved curtain to give a homely feel. We’ve introduced a bigger and better bed with a padded noise-reducing headboard. The cosy bed is dressed with four pillows providing guests with two choices of pillows (two soft and two firm).
Q: How does this new experience set you apart from the competition?
First and foremost, every single element of the next-generation design has been developed based on guest insight. Each design feature meets the needs of the European ‘Smart Traveller’. Guestroom designs have remained virtually unchanged for the last 60 years since standardised room dimensions were introduced by the founder of the Holiday Inn Brand, Kemmons Wilson. The European next-generation guestroom uses functional fabrics and intuitive design to create a modern comfortable environment for travellers on the go.
Q: How quickly will the concept be rolled out in Europe and where else globally will IHG adopt the concept?
The ‘next generation’ for Holiday Inn Express will be launched in Europe and adapted for new-build hotels and properties undergoing renovation. We are aiming for at least one in every four of our European hotels to feature the latest Holiday Inn Express guest experience within the next three years, with the first hotel opening towards the end of this year.
Q: How important is Generation Y as a customer demographic for Holiday Inn Express and what influence will this generation have on hotel concepts now and in the future?
Millennials are an important demographic for the Holiday Inn Express brand, however, it is the smart traveller we are targeting. A smart traveller could be 25 or 55 years of age but looking for an experience that is practical and personal. The smart traveller is an efficiency seeker, who is smart about value and is independent. The new guest experience for Holiday Inn Express was based entirely on guest insight. We worked very closely with different business and leisure travellers across a range of demographics and professions in order to really understand their needs and preferences for a short stay trip. This new design has the guest in mind at every stage of the guest journey.
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